tag:labilerecords.com,2005:/blogs/news?p=3News2024-03-21T22:59:28-04:00Labile Recordsfalsetag:labilerecords.com,2005:Post/73706602024-03-21T22:59:28-04:002024-03-21T22:59:28-04:00Video Review: Rauta Drifting in Silence - Timeless<div class="video-container size_xl justify_center" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="ghAvIHEO4wk" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ghAvIHEO4wk?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p>Enter soothing ambient with Drifting in Silence's album Timeless.</p><p>Artist: Drifting in Silence<br>Album: Timeless<br> </p>Labile Recordstag:labilerecords.com,2005:Post/73706582024-03-21T22:48:29-04:002024-03-21T22:48:38-04:00Review: Igloo Magazine Michael It’z :: Ambivalence<a class="no-pjax" href="https://igloomag.com/reviews/michael-itz-ambivalence-labile" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/465471/89f426e9f21832c282d1b64ca869dafea1072066/original/screenshot-2024-03-21-at-10-46-37-pm.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" height="1382" width="1526" /></a><p>As if going into another realm, musical atmospheres that might be able to assimilate the mystic to the common, the unseen to the seen, the unknown to the known. I think that each track contains a voice study, each composition has what sounds to me like a found field recording, each one a different voice, usually a lonely human personality. You hear the voices of several different people telling you things in different languages. There is a bass, there is a beat. Not everything is in English so instead of the content of the words you are listening to the tone of the voice, regardless of the content, communicating the essence of the expression, the timbre of the voice, the speed of speaking, the mood, often confessional, sometimes maybe something wild like shamanistic trance utterances, the listener is alone or with someone in mind. Sometimes I can make out some words and that puts the story into a more interesting context.</p><p>With a slow emergence, it sounds like booming steam works musically clanking along until the rumbling bass beat takes over, the voice is coming in and out. Through all this is a monotone guy explaining his point of view, persistent and mildly annoyed. I cannot make out most of the words but I hear the syllabic studies portraying the hard story this guy has, the beat comes in, there is a bass, now there are other voices, women talking, they have another point of view and somewhat more enthusiasm for their tale. The track is titled “Same Pattern, Over and Over” (6:30). I don’t know, perhaps this is an echoing homage to the cyclical nature of life, layered with subtle sonic patterns that guide us into the composer Michael Caria’s immersive soundscape. I like it.</p><p>Next track, there is a young voice, a bit energized, their point of view is clear and strong, perhaps this is not a horse, this is a “Zebra” (2:59), whatever, the feeling evokes contrasting shades of existence, I am resonating with a harmonic blend of distinct tones, representing life’s monochrome yet vibrant aspects, expanded interior mental and spiritual awareness which is frequently accompanied by visions and emotional/intuitive (and sometimes physical) euphoria. I need it.</p><p>The third track, “Between People and Machines” (feat Guido Tabone) (5:19) begins with close sounds, a dreamy open mixture, the sound of someone touching the microphone somewhere, always giving in to these deeper looped atmospheres. I hear a sampled smoky sax instrumental. The voice is young and explains things patiently and sometimes with joy. This is a sobering story. She has a strong point that I probably sympathize with . She complains in a calm descriptive manner and gets more energized as we go. Always the saxophone is supplying a compelling pull. What I dig is the complex interplay between technology and humanity, here we have success capturing the rhythm of our modern, machine-driven existence through the sax. I want it.</p><h2><strong>A poignant reminder of the transitory nature of existence ::</strong></h2><p>Now the beat is loose and fun, a female voice, a shadow dancer weaves this jam within a circular groove, this is the title track “Ambivalence” (3:40) and I am confronted by a sonic embodiment of conflicting emotions, my feelings are resonating with the continuing human struggle between choices, feelings, and experiences. There is a dog in there. I will take it. “Before We Leave” (feat Alex Kozobolis) (4:38), I hear a lilting piano, but the sound is complex, sometimes it sounds open and spacious, as if in a big echoey transit station. Now the guy is explaining something delicate, and there is a voice on the phone, calm and clear, assured and supportive, the piano lingers lightly here in the dark, the guy tells his story, in his language with lots of color and implied unspoken elements, his story is comforting. To me this is a poignant reminder of the transitory nature of existence, while waiting there I am aware of all moments before departure. There I was, there I sat. That is how I will remember this part of my journey.<br><br>Back and forth, playful melodic girls’ voices are close and musical, the beat pushes some forward motion, I feel the wings of musical angels floating so close in the air, just hanging there, while the beat jumps all around. All the time she is calm and focused, repeating her part, “Voilet Connection” (2:30) and surely that captures the tension and release of intense relationships, the push and pull of opposing forces that paradoxically bring us together. Now to think about death. “Ashes We’ll Be” (6:49) begins with drone organ tones whirling and buzzing, soon comes the sly beat, understated and tricky with room for a bit more sadness and complexity. The voice is distant, sad and swimming in crying strings. Listening deeper I hear more voices. One guy is worked up, explaining things with a passion that burns. He is getting really worked up until someone talks him out of it, tries to calm him down but it’s over. We are left with a solemn acceptance of the inevitable end. I am taken further. Ultimately the new pulse comes in strong after the melodic chaos begins, we are truckin along, steady and smooth continuously one after the other: “Monochrome” (4:20). I hear the metal objects within, they provide lots of color and counter tempos. As if to interact with invisible forces that control uncertain outcomes, a minimalist exploration of the austere beauty found in simplicity, she is melodic and only appears after the beat has faded. As we float in and the beat takes us up into a nice jam, some back and forth with the bass and hand percussion, the voice is that of a child talking calm and happy several children explain things “Before We Collided” (3:54) and I know this is an elegy for my own ephemera retrospective. I look at the moments leading up to significant life changes, building anticipation with each note.</p><p>At the end, I hear a woman’s musical voice or voices singing, sometimes talking and repeating just syllables, fragments of meaning. I find more fragments that add texture and increase the pull. The track is “1960” (3:43) and surely is an homage to a defining era, smiling and evoking a sense of nostalgia and reflection through its timeless chords.</p><p><a class="no-pjax" href="https://michaelitz.bandcamp.com/album/ambivalence" data-link-type="url"><strong>Ambivalence</strong></a> is a captivating ambient album, the tracks flow through different territories, with so many quirky details, best described as an exploration of the shared human experience, expressed through a tapestry of sounds and emotions, from the London-based artist Michael Caria who is known worldwide for the project <i>Michael It’z</i>. Originating from Italy, Caria masterfully intertwines his rich cultural background with London’s contemporary, ambient scene, resulting in a deeply immersive and evocative listening experience.<br><br><a class="no-pjax" href="https://igloomag.com/reviews/michael-itz-ambivalence-labile" data-link-type="url">Link</a></p>Labile Recordstag:labilerecords.com,2005:Post/73706522024-03-21T22:39:11-04:002024-03-21T22:41:43-04:00Review: Amplify The Noise Winters Past by Drifting In Silence<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/465471/23946060b6f0f46f8797cedf1c198a2b5161dd7b/original/screenshot-2024-03-21-at-10-38-10-pm.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" height="1404" width="1350" /><p>Out on February 23rd on Labile Records, <strong>Winters Past </strong>from<strong> Drifting in Silence</strong> sees multi-instrumentalist <a class="no-pjax" href="https://amplifythenoise.com/tag/derrick-stembridge/"><strong>Derrick Stembridge</strong></a><strong> </strong>tackling<strong> </strong>the moody and dark elements of winter and triumphly flourishing. The six tracks on <strong>Winters Past</strong>beautifully showcase an ambient yet emotional journey through a season that is often looked at through the eyes of desolation and sadness.</p><p>The opening track, <strong>“As the Last Leaf Falls”</strong>, signals the change between seasons. It is the soundtrack to one watching the last leaf pull away from the tree of life and effortlessly floating to the ground. The music allows one to aurally hear the peaceful dance between the leaf and the air.<br><br>For <strong>“The Embrace”</strong>, one is transported to the cold. Imagine if you will, staring out into fresh fallen snow as the warmth of fire is behind you. This image is the feeling I get for the song. It’s the odd silence of the fresh fallen snow yet the emotionality of the crackling fire.</p><p>Continuing with peace and quiet of winter snow is the track, <strong>“In Stillness” </strong>and pushing further past the quiet is <strong>“Shimmering Memories”</strong> which like its name indicates inspires memories.</p><p>Perhaps the star of the album though is<strong> “</strong><a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzAO9A9GjgI" data-link-type="url"><strong>Live to Tell</strong></a><strong>”</strong>. Originally written by <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.madonna.com" data-link-type="url"><strong>Madonna</strong></a> and <a class="no-pjax" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Leonard" data-link-type="url"><strong>Pat Leonard</strong></a>, <a class="no-pjax" href="https://amplifythenoise.com/tag/drifting-in-silence/"><strong>Drifting in Silence</strong></a> takes the broody 80’s hit and reinterprets it into a moody wintery vibe that echoes the potent moments of the original and creates a heavy sadness that is lovely.</p><p>Closing out the album, the title track conveys the hope that arises as the snow melts away through the oncoming spring sun and allows the flora, fauna, and humanity to emerge with refreshed souls that have transformed through past winters and will continue to transform through future winters.</p><p><a class="no-pjax" href="https://amplifythenoise.com/album-review-winters-past-by-drifting-in-silence/" data-link-type="url"><strong>Winters Past</strong></a> is a haunting journey through ambient melodies that evoke emotions of solitude, peace, but mostly that of hope.</p>Labile Recordstag:labilerecords.com,2005:Post/73706512024-03-21T22:35:19-04:002024-03-21T22:36:07-04:00Review: Igloo Magazine Derrick Stembridge | Mike Petruna :: Cryptic Logic <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/465471/f971931db502f1055bc3555beea152e6cc99bfb6/original/screenshot-2024-03-21-at-10-34-56-pm.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" height="1416" width="1482" /><p>Derrick Stembridge and Mike Petruna’s <a class="no-pjax" href="https://derrickstembridge-mikepetruna.bandcamp.com/album/cryptic-logic" data-link-type="url"><strong>Cryptic Logic</strong></a> is an easily-digested industrial album with atmospheric aspects. It is mindful of Front Line Assembly’s more atmospheric works, with dystopian and futuristic elements. My favorite piece is “False Idols.” It begins on a <i>drift-y</i> note, gradually and steadily building, until a series of sequences a la <i>Blade Runner</i> kick in. “False Idols” moves ahead with a solid drum groove; calling to mind the many glittering sensory attractions offered in today’s world, including hints of their questionable and ephemeral benefits.</p><p>“The Ones We Lost” is a short, bittersweet, pad-based dedication. It is quite brief but provides a pleasant moment of retrospection, a toast to those who have passed away. “Plastique” is a soulful tech groove, offset by highly-pitched pads. The piece conveys a sense of movement or travel; its electronic sounds are crafted well, organic in nature and sequenced. Mod synth patterns emerge as standout elements of the track, which takes on a goth-industrial vibe. Front Line Assembly might be referenced here again, as well as bands such as Delirium.</p><p>A vocal quote from <i>Alien</i> is mixed with the opening strains of “Moments In Space.” The quote is of Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) discussing the ultimate fate of the Nostromo’s crew, then signing off of the mission. The track is notably retro in nature, resembling Air (the French band) and especially songs like “Kelly Watch The Stars.” Vocoded voices accompany pad melodies and spacey mod progressions. Once it kicks in, “Moments in Space” sounds very trance-inducing and is fun to listen to.</p><p>I am a fan of this kind of music. I lived in Chicago during the Wax Trax! era, and appreciate the broad and cinematic appeal of albums like <strong>Cryptic Logic</strong>. I think it could receive a substantial listenership, for those who enjoy music that is both industrial and ambient.</p><blockquote><p style="text-align:center;"><i>“Each track in this compilation is a chapter in an enthralling sonic odyssey that revitalizes and redefines the electronic music landscape.” ~</i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://labilerecords.com/album/2733499/cryptic-logic" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><i><strong>Labile Records</strong></i></a></p></blockquote>Labile Recordstag:labilerecords.com,2005:Post/72384062023-07-07T16:36:07-04:002023-10-16T10:57:49-04:00REVIEW: Amplify the Noise - Drifting In Silence Timeless<p>Composer, <strong>Derrick Stembridge</strong> aka <strong>Drifting in Silence</strong>, recently released Timeless, a wonderful ambient album that is an ode to life and death. </p><p>A tribute to his mother, <strong>Timeless</strong> is a serene and ethereal journey, allowing listeners to face their own emotions of loss while finding comfort through the album.</p><p><strong>“I Wish You Were Here”</strong> featuring <strong>Brighten the Corner</strong>expresses what most, if not all, feel once someone they care for and love has crossed over. We can’t turn back the clocks to defy time or death, but we can move forward in honour of those that left us.</p><p>What is beautiful about the album is the sheer expansiveness of the music. If quiet can be sonic, then <strong>Timeless</strong> is a quiet sonic journey that transcends time and space. It flows peacefully from beginning to end, creating a moment, a stillness to face and release the grief and sadness one may hold within.</p><p>Through its exquisite melodies, vibrations, and frequencies, <strong>Timeless</strong> not only allows reflection and healing, it gives space to allow for closure and new beginnings.</p><p><strong>MUST LISTEN TRACKS:</strong> “IV XV MMXXII”, “I WIsh You Were Here”<br><br><a class="no-pjax" href="https://amplifythenoise.com/2023/06/03/album-review-timeless-by-drifting-in-silence/#:~:text=What%20is%20beautiful%20about%20the,sadness%20one%20may%20hold%20within." data-link-type="url">Link to article. </a></p>Labile Recordstag:labilerecords.com,2005:Post/62805842020-04-12T21:01:22-04:002023-07-07T16:33:10-04:00Away Featured On One World Music Radio Atmospheres #246<p><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.mixcloud.com/OWM/atmospheres-246/" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/465471/42adcff1a1888958e6191615beeb8337c2bafca7/original/b1ca-c210-4cc7-bf04-81f882fa830e.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></a><br>Drifting In Silence Away Featured On One World Music Radio Atmospheres #246.<iframe frameborder="0" height="120" src="https://www.mixcloud.com/widget/iframe/?hide_cover=1&light=1&feed=%2FOWM%2Fatmospheres-246%2F" width="100%"></iframe></p>Labile Recordstag:labilerecords.com,2005:Post/62803272020-04-12T13:39:12-04:002020-04-12T13:39:47-04:00Take Effect Reviews Away<p><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://takeeffectreviews.com/reviews-42?fbclid=IwAR1zoZttkRLlgXk7qmhxAfWKVLoax6f2b1-APCLM9cu7vOxmTrCXUdgcGYM#/driftinginsilenceaway/" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/465471/102647f5022bb24e93ddc9ae75c16c10a1213899/original/screen-shot-2020-04-12-at-1-37-58-pm.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></a><br>The brainchild of multi-instrumentalist and composer Derrick Stembridge, Away is his 6th album as Drifting In Silence, as he deftly manipulates minimalism with cascading beauty and plenty of organic tones across the adventurous landscape. </p>
<p>“1111” starts the album ambient and mysterious, as swells of synth invade the chilling opener, and “Obscure” follows with a darker spirit where percussive noise complements the cinematic backdrop. </p>
<p>In the middle, “Shifting” pushes and pulls with soaring tension on the ethereal atmosphere, while “Away Pt. 1” finds a dreamy place to reside with its soothing qualities. </p>
<p>Near the end, “Away Pt. 2” taps into an emotive aspect of the human condition with gorgeous texturing, and “Darkwithin” continues that theme with keys and meticulous attention to mood alongside inventive percussion. “Memory” ends the listen with nearly 10 minutes of exploration that gets ominous, surreal and unpredictable in the best ways. </p>
<p>While you’ll find remnants of post-rock and New Age within these tunes, ultimately Drifting In Silence is an experience like no other, and one that you’ll want to revisit again. </p>
<p>Travels well with: Trentemoller- Obverse; Heron- Sun Release<br><br><a contents="Link" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://takeeffectreviews.com/reviews-42?fbclid=IwAR1zoZttkRLlgXk7qmhxAfWKVLoax6f2b1-APCLM9cu7vOxmTrCXUdgcGYM#/driftinginsilenceaway/"><strong>Link</strong></a></p>Labile Recordstag:labilerecords.com,2005:Post/62803172020-04-12T13:26:58-04:002020-04-12T13:26:58-04:00Angry Metal Guy Away Review<p><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/drifting-in-silence-away-review/" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/465471/551750097cd1b5ac665ff1025ac9efa28dde8c05/original/screen-shot-2020-04-12-at-11-48-57-am.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></a><br>Metal music and ambient music share a lot in common. In the same way that non-metal listeners think, “Gee, what is that hellish noise?” when they hear metal music, many consider ambient music to simply be noise reserved for elevators or dentist office waiting rooms. In other words, the genres of ambient and metal both have a history of being mistakenly classified as “not real music.” Of course, the genre of metal is incredibly vast and nuanced and cannot be generalized in this way. Nor can ambient. For example, it is quite common for metalheads to have wildly different tastes with zero crossover in their music libraries. The same goes for ambientheads. When I decided to review Drifting in Silence‘s new album, I knew I wouldn’t technically be reviewing a metal album. But I did know I would be reviewing an album people who appreciate metal might also appreciate. </p>
<p>Drifting in Silence is the project of ambient veteran Derrick Stembridge of North Carolina. In his own words, Derrick’s band name is “a description of the feeling evoked by the music.” Drifting in Silence‘s new sixth album Away fits that bill. A fire was lit under me to review this album when I discovered that Away was produced by genre heavyweight Rafael Anton Irisarri. A drone and electronic artist himself, Irisarri is part of the ambient techno/shoegaze outfit The Sight Below and has also done production for Biosphere, Grouper, and Julianna Barwick — all bands I am staunchly a fan of. It is no surprise then that the textures are so lush, expansive, and transportive. </p>
<p>The most immediate comparison to the droney first track “1111” is Matt Borghi‘s ambient guitar work as exhibited by the slow-handed, minimal, and full-bodied guitar picking. While each of the layers Drifting in Silence designs are quite simple when studied on their own, the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts. The sound on Away is consistent, and no single song stands out. Each track, however, somehow manages to awaken a completely different combination of feelings. “Away Pt. 2” gently caresses you before wrapping you up in a warm blanket. “Metamorphosis” evokes feelings of impending doom and incorporates melancholic strings. Echoey “Obscure” is rhythmically frightening, and more subtly sinister “Memory” features billowing swaths of sound. </p>
<p>Just as I oftentimes hear past the “noise” of harsh metal vocals and walls of grimy guitar and instead am attuned to the underlying structure or mood changes when listening to metal music, I find myself doing the same when listening to ambient music. My experience listening and re-listening to the full sixty minutes of Away was no different. While I don’t have any concrete negatives to call out regarding this album, Away also doesn’t do anything particularly novel or remarkable. When assigning scores to albums, I typically take into account memorability, but Drifting in Silence‘s new album really made me stop and rethink that metric. Much of ambient music (and some metal for that matter) isn’t designed to be catchy. In fact, ambient pioneer Brian Eno coined the phrase, “ambient music must be as ignorable as it is interesting.” Food for thought. </p>
<p>If you’re on the prowl for a new metal release to spin, Away likely won’t satisfy your thirst. Every so often, though, we here at AMG need a break from the freneticism of metal. And for that, Drifting in Silence‘s Away is the perfect prescription. Away is unassuming, decidedly pleasant to listen to, and purposefully designed to assist you in losing track of time. If listening to ambient artists like Loscil or Robin Guthrie as a way to reset is your jam, you absolutely won’t regret a listen.<br><br><a contents="Link" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/drifting-in-silence-away-review/" target="_blank">Link</a></p>Labile Recordstag:labilerecords.com,2005:Post/62802422020-04-12T11:45:14-04:002022-05-26T09:53:55-04:00Drifting In Silence FEATURED on Brainvoyager Music<p><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://brainvoyagermusic.com/drifting-in-silence/" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/465471/e062ad4bd1fa1fff88497f9f9f279e14dfa6e4b7/original/screen-shot-2020-04-12-at-11-42-56-am.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></a></p>
<p>Drifting In Silence is the name of a longstanding ambient project undertaken by multi-instrumentalist and composer Derrick Stembridge. Stembridge chose the name as “a description of the feeling evoked by the music,”. He intended to create the sensation of movement through regions of light and shadow. </p>
<p>Away is the new album released by the project. The project’s signature pure tones and bold minimalism return with a shroud of mystery. Just when the environment seems familiar, the entire terrain shifts, revealing what has been hiding in plain sight. The album glows with maturity and gentle attention to sound design. </p>
<p>Away moves slowly but methodically, the smooth swells gradually climaxing in a sublime cascade of sine waves and delicate piano work. Each track is a meditation anchored by deliberate details; enormous, lush textures are balanced with bright electronica (“Breathe”) or soft, thrumming percussion (“Obscure”, “Darkwithin”). Away revels in its use of space and the massive territory allows for Drifting In Silence to photograph with a wide lens, stretching from melancholy to exaltation in its exploration of absence and the transformational effects of time. </p>
<p>The album is unified by the expert mastering of genre heavyweight Rafael Anton Irisarri (Grouper, Biosphere, Julianna Barwick) and brought to life by Derrick Stembridge, the sole member of Drifting In Silence. Stembridge has operated as Drifting In Silence since 2006 and has reliably evolved its mellifluous sound while maintaining focus on the deepest reaches of human emotion.<br><br><a contents="Link" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://brainvoyagermusic.com/drifting-in-silence/" target="_blank">Link</a></p>Labile Recordstag:labilerecords.com,2005:Post/62802412020-04-12T11:39:25-04:002020-04-12T11:39:25-04:00Drifting in Silence - Artificial Igloo Magazine Review<p><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://igloomag.com/reviews/drifting-in-silence-artificial" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/465471/c1fac2b646f61f1741520d7a47af4cc7b6293a26/original/screen-shot-2020-04-12-at-11-38-12-am.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></a></p>
<p>Artificial marks a return to purely ambient music from Derrick Stembridge, the composer behind the Drifting in Silence moniker. His work, self-released on Labile Records Inc. have ranged from brightly melodic IDM, to grinding electro of the EBM variety, to straight forward and cleanly produced ambient. While working in various genres he’s retained a commitment to polished instrumentation and a cinematic, broadly emotional feel. </p>
<p>These thirteen tracks all run at about 5-minutes apiece, most driven by simple, cycling pad motifs that share a particularly digital sounding sonic sharpness. Although they develop quite slowly, there is an underlying structural logic that lend a quietly compositional feel. Thursday Afternoon, Brian Eno’s 61 minute piece of hovering, static beauty, this is not. Instead, these pieces are succinct songs that are paced with counterpoint and resolution. Stembridge also differentiates each track with unique instrumentation; employing electric guitar, a curious cello imitation, and vocoder at different times. The vocoder is especially novel, rarely used in the genre outside of Robert Fripps excellent live album, Love Cannot Bear. These instrumental performances are not always particularly inspiring though; the guitar playing on “Surface” is the stuff of saccharine mood music, Windham Hill in space. </p>
<p>As we near the halfway point of the album, things loosen up a little, with good effect. “Origin” has a charismatic, pointillist lead that recalls the funky space music of Warp’s Artificial Intelligence series without the percussive backing. Oddly enough, “Emotion” is the least emotional track on the album, broken synths outlining the contours of a desolate and obscure space with minute streams of brightness shining through. This is followed by “Stay,” a rumbling, unstable piece of dark ambient with its melodic activity obscured and backgrounded. This more ambiguous work feels the most promising and powerful. </p>
<p>According to the artist this album was inspired by the work of William Basinski, but one would be hard pressed to find the dead eyed repetition or fragile sonics of Basinski’s style here. True to its title Artificial, there’s an airbrushed digital sheen that signals away from the natural world and towards Hollywood sized CGI. Unapologetically grand and emotional, this album will please those who like their ambient sounds tidy and ready for the big screen.<br><br><a contents="Link" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://igloomag.com/reviews/drifting-in-silence-artificial">Link</a></p>Labile Recordstag:labilerecords.com,2005:Post/62802402020-04-12T11:35:11-04:002020-04-12T11:35:11-04:00Drifting In Silence Dawn Featured on Impose <p><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/controlpanel/visual_editor#/pages/3318356/features/blog-feature-365632/https://bandzoogle.com/controlpanel/blogs/news/posts/new?blog_feature_id=365632"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/465471/0947d4a87ebd4805fc3fa04c203325a26959ce18/original/screen-shot-2020-04-12-at-11-33-10-am.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></a></p>
<p>Featured off of Drifting in Silence’s album Dawn, we present a look at the Francesco Brunotti video for the title track that was captured along Bombay Beach, California with a camera & drone assist from Nino Buzz. The music of Raleigh, NC’s Derrick Stembridge is taken for a costal journey of desert coastal sands that sprawl along an arid landscape of ghost neighborhoods & villas that are baking beneath the blaze of the Pacific sun. Images of sky & ocean create a passage to explore the previously inhabited homes, grounded boats & photographs caught in flame as Drifting in Silence’s meditative sounds are provided with an entire environment of their own to enjoy that makes for an out of body experience. The entirety of the video takes the audience on a full day excursion cycle of sun to dusk where the eerie world of Bombay Beach is witnessed in a way that feels like an impressionistic documentary of what happens to worlds when the people move out & nature runs her course.<br><br><a contents="Link" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/controlpanel/visual_editor#/pages/3318356/features/blog-feature-365632/https://bandzoogle.com/controlpanel/blogs/news/posts/new?blog_feature_id=365632">Link</a></p>Labile Recordstag:labilerecords.com,2005:Post/62799712020-04-11T21:49:08-04:002020-04-11T21:49:48-04:00Drifting In Silence Place In Time - Igloo Magazine Review<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/465471/b5fab7ebfdca28a44b067467ee8a063450fbc25c/original/screen-shot-2020-04-11-at-9-45-36-pm.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br>Derrick Stembridge (aka Drifting In Silence) continues to engage low-lying ambient spectra of sound with six windswept pieces that pass through unlit corridors. While predominately beatless on the exterior, Place In Time encapsulates a heartbeat composed of strands—often microscopic in size—that flex ever so calmly among light strings (ie. “Never”). Perhaps best imagined as a soundtrack to a place in time that is personal to each set of ears. “Vital” exudes a darker shadow as it hypnotizes the senses and transforms itself into an inspired ambient opus reminiscent of Kattoo and/or Bitcrush yielding sheets of harmonious melody sweeps. The title track unearths a swirling maze of sonic beauty—elongated guitar introspection’s and emotion are delivered via undulating blankets of ambient propulsion. Consumed as a whole, Place In Time creates windows of luminous activity for the listener to peer through. Often brooding and filled with unraveled texture, Drifting In Silence presents a string of various reflections that are unique, captivating and likely to emit pensive patterns of thought.<br><br><strong>Link:</strong> <a contents="Drifting In Silence Place In Time - Igloo Magazine Review" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://igloomag.com/reviews/drifting-in-silence-place-in-time-labile">Drifting In Silence Place In Time - Igloo Magazine Review</a></p>Labile Recordstag:labilerecords.com,2005:Post/62792342020-04-10T23:33:39-04:002020-04-11T21:38:03-04:00Drifting In Silence - Place In Time: REGEN Magazine Review<p><br><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://regenmag.com/reviews/drifting-in-silence-place-in-time/"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/465471/1b27e148d1381a22114c390cc415893f2d7dfecd/original/screen-shot-2020-04-10-at-11-18-03-pm.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></a><br><br>The follow up to 2012’s Lifesounds, Drifting in Silence returns with a spacey EP, Place in Time, that shows a much more focused approach than its predecessor. Creating a warm and uplifting sound heavy on droning synth and retro-futurist soundscapes, Place in Time proves to be very minimalist in style, but carries with it a surprising amount of emotional depth. </p>
<p>One thing that quickly becomes apparent about Place in Time is the very cinematic quality to it. Much of the album will conjure memories of serene and calming imagery from a variety of films. Some of Danny Boyle’s filmography particularly comes to mind with “Leaving” and “Never” feeling tailored for Sunshine as they bring to mind the vast emptiness of space but carrying a spirit of adventure and hope. The title track, “Place in Time” with its subtle, haunting, and dreamy guitar work similarly reminds the listener of the tranquil moments of 28 Days Later that perfectly offset the chaos of the apocalypse with the marvel of life and the beauty of the natural world. Obviously, the imagery conjured in each mind will be different, but the work of Place in Time strongly suggests imagery and is sure to bring listeners’ minds to moments of calm and splendor in either the cinematic world or their own. </p>
<p>Place in Time is an exceptionally pleasant and relaxing experience, but many may find it too often crosses into the realm of new age meditation aids rather than engrossing IDM. There is without a doubt a soft, semi-spiritual calm the album can bring forth with its lush tones and stirring, surprisingly emotional work. The album’s tendency to lull the listener can also cause it to not be terribly memorable or attention grabbing, but its intangible mood enhancing qualities make up for what it lacks in other areas. </p>
<p>Track list: </p>
<p>Balance <br>Vital <br>Never <br>Place In Time <br>Leaving <br>Perfection<br><br>Link: <a contents="Drifting In Silence - Place In Time: REGEN Magazine Review" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://regenmag.com/reviews/drifting-in-silence-place-in-time/" target="_blank">Drifting In Silence - Place In Time: REGEN Magazine Review</a></p>Labile Records